Simplified Schedule: Time Management

The way you spend your time— even those little moments each day that seem so trivial, is the way that you spend your life. Little moments add up to be the big moments, which is why it’s so important to manage the time we’re given wisely. When you look back on your life ten years from now, what do you want to see yourself doing? Make time for those things. This week we asked the ladies in our Simplicity Series what their BEST tip for managing their time wisely is. Here’s what they said:

“What distracts someone varies from person to person. I found it helpful to observe and figure out what actually distracts me from managing my time wisely. For me – it is a combination of social media and not planning ahead. With those things in mind, I then move forward to brainstorm ways to battle those distractions. I battle social media by blocking those websites during my workday (with the exceptions of planning my own social media). I battle not planning ahead by creating a to-do list at the beginning of each day that I can follow and commit to.” – Lacoya Heggie, wife, mama, and founder of Hello Love Events

“For me it works best to compartmentalize “work days” and “mom days” so that I can be fully present in each space without trying to do everything all at once. If you tend to struggle with time management then consider letting another close friend or your spouse into your goals to help keep you accountable.” – Shay Cochrane, wife, mama to two sweet girls, and photographer extraordinaire

“On Sundays, I organize all of my work and life to-dos and review my calendar. Once I have all of this information at hand, I’m able to figure out what days/times of the week I can tackle the priorities on my list. I try hard to focus on 3 key to-do list items each day and not more. And, I always give myself some kind of “reward” once I check something off. So, for example, I may be hungry for a snack. I will wait until whatever task I’m working on is completed, and then I treat myself to the snack I’ve been craving. Or, I may want to get in a workout. So, I will do the task at hand and then workout once I’ve completed it.” – Beth Gebhard, wife, mama to 2, and co-founder of Choice Media and Communications

“Don’t get too bogged down in one task or item on your to-do list when it comes to work. There are deadlines you have to meet, but if you’ve been working on one thing for longer than expected and feel like you’ve hit a roadblock – move onto something else and circle back to it. You will be able to approach it with a fresh perspective.” –Maggie Rheney, Samford grad, avid book reader, and associate publicist at Choice Media and Communications

“Being proactive! I try to make the most of my days, whether that’s when I am in the office or at home. I am intentional with planning things out that need to get done, as well as also doing things that I enjoy.” – Rachel Cruze, wife, mama, author, and finance guru

“Schedule every single thing that’s important to you on your calendar on purpose before the week begins. I love what Steven Covey says, ‘Don’t prioritize your schedule. Schedule your priorities.’ It’s the difference between being proactive versus reactive. If you wait until you have some time ‘left over’ until you put it towards what’s important to you, it’s never going to happen. There are seven days in a week and someday isn’t one of them. If you don’t schedule it, it’s not going to happen.” – Christy Wright, wife, boy mama, speaker, and author of Business Boutique

“Time block your calendar. I learned this years ago from Michael Hyatt. At the beginning of the week I plan my entire week and then block out my calendar based on what I need to get done. Take kids to the dentist, baseball practice, date night, birthday party, hair appointment, grocery store – it all goes onto my calendar in time blocks. That way I can focus on my priorities for the week and make sure I get it all included. I treat everything like it’s a meeting on my calendar.” – Heather Adams, wife, mama, and co-founder of Choice Media and Communications